Tracheal tube device



Dec. 28, 1965 c. w. SMITH 3,225,767

TRACHEAL TUBE DEVICE Filed March 13, 1964 nlllilmwn United States Patent O 3,225,767 TRACHEAL TUBE DEVICE Cliord W. Smith, Upper Darby, Pa., assignor to South Chester Corporation, Lester, Pa., a corporation ot Delaware Filed Mar. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 351,759 Claims. (Cl. 12S- 351) This invention relates to tracheal tube devicespar ticularly tracheostomy cannulas. Such cannulas are also known as tracheotomy cannulas.

The purpose and use of tracheostomy cannulas are well known. Descriptions of tracheostomy cannulas, and the manner in which they are used, may be found in the literature and in such U.S. patent as 3,088,466, 2,923,299, 2,786,469, 2,765,792 and others.

Tracheostomy cannulas are curved tubes which are used in pairs, i.e., an outer cannula which is inserted into the trachea of the user and which may remain there more o1' less indefinitely, and an inner cannula which is a readily removable mucus-collecting tube which the user removes frequently for cleaning.

Locking means must be provided for securing the inner cannula in place within the outer cannula so that the inner tube will not become dislodged accidentally. However, the locking means must allow the user to release the inner cannula easily and readily, so that the inner cannula may be ,quickly and conveniently removed for cleaning.

The object of the present invention is to provide improved locking means for tracheostomy cannulas which allows the user to firmly yet releasably lock the inner cannula to the outer, and which allows the inner cannula to be easily and readily withdrawn.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the inner and outer tracheostomy cannulas in place at the neck of the user;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outer cannula at the neck of the user and with the inner cannula removed;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the tracheostomy cannulas;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the cannulas, partly in section; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view, partly in section, looking down along the lines V-V of FIG. 3.

In the drawing, the tracheostomy tube device is shown to comprise an outer cannula and an inner cannula 20. The outer and inner cannulas 10 and 20 are similarly curved, are almost the same length (the inner cannula being somewhat shorter) and are of such diameters that the inner cannula 20 fits easily but without play within the outer cannula 10. Both the outer and inner cannulas may preferably be formed of stainless steel or other noncorrosive resilient material.

The outer or proximal end of the outer cannula 10 is provided with a radial flange 12 which may preferably be generally oval-shaped. Flange 12 has a at central portion 14 and on each side thereof a wing portion 15 and 16. The wing portions 15 and 16 are canted slightly rearwardly, as best seen in FIG. 5, so that the oval flange 12 may rest conformably on the neck of the user.

Wing portions 15 and 16 are provided with slots, 17 and 18, respectively, for receiving the neck-band or strap 19 used to hold the tracheal device on the neck of the wearer.

Each of the wing portions 15 and 16 is provided with a tab, 35 and 36, respectively, located inward of the slots 17 and 18. The tabs 35 and 36 extend forwardly from the surface of the wing, and are inclined toward the axial ICC center of the cannula at an angle of about 23 relative to the cannula axis. Tabs 35 and 36 are formed by stamping out the wing material, and function as a pair of clips for receiving and releasably holding the inner cannula within the outer cannula, as will be described.

The inner cannula 20 terminates in a at annular llange 22 adapted to abut against the flat portion 14 of the flange 12 of outer cannula 10. Flange 22 of the inner cannula 20 is provided with a pair of upstanding apertured ears 25 and 26, at opposite sides of the flange 22. The ears 25 and 26 extend forwardly, and are inclined outwardly, away from the axial center of the cannula at an angle of about 30 relative to the cannula axis. The apertures 27 and 28 of ears 25 and 26 are D-shaped, with the flat side down.

The distance between the tips of the tabs and 36 of the outer cannula 10 is slightly less than the distance between the bases of the apertures 27 and 28 of ears 25 and 26, as will be seen in FIG. 5 by the solid line representation. Thus, when the inner cannula 20 is inserted fully into the outer cannula 10, the forward extremities or tips of tabs 35 and 36 engage the surfaces of ears 25 and 26 just below the flat bases of apertures 27 and 28. If a light inward pressure is then applied, as by the thumb and foretinger 41 of the wearer (see FIG. 5), the ears 25 and 26 are forced together slightly, as indicated in FIG. 5 by the dotted-line representation, and the tip portions of the tabs 35 and 36 enter the holes 27 and 2S in the ears 25 and 26. When the tips of the tabs 35, 36 are in the holes 27, 28, there is a very slight bit of play between the inner cannula 20 and outer cannula 10 which may be sensed by the thumb and foretinger 40 and 41 of the wearer. This informs the wearer that the inner cannula has been snapped into place.

To withdraw the inner cannula, as for cleaning, the wearer merely applies a slight compressing pressure to the ears 25 and 26, as by the thumb and forenger, as he pulls the inner cannula forward.

While the preferred embodiment of this invention has been described in some detail, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various modications may be made without departing from the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A tracheal tube assembly, comprising: a curved outer cannula and a similarly curved inner cannula formed of non-corrosive resilient material, said outer cannula being adapted for insertion into the trachea of a user, said inner cannula being insertable into said outer cannula, the proximal end of said outer cannula being provided with a radial flange having a at central portion and opposed wing portions, each of said wing portions having a tab which extends forwardly and inwardly, `said inner cannula having at its proximal end a at radial ange adapted for abutting against the at center portion of the outer-cannula ange, said inner-cannula flange being provided with oppositely-disposed apertured ears extending forwardly and outwardly, the normal distance between the tips of the tabs of the outer-cannula llange being slightly less than the normal distance between the apertured ears as measured between points located just below the apertures,

whereby when said inner cannula is being inserted intol said outer cannula the tabs of said outer-cannula flange engage the lower portion 0f the ears of said inner-cannula flange, forcing the ears slightly together until the tips of the tabs enter the apertures of the ears, thereby to releasably interlock said inner and outer cannulas.

2. A tracheal tube assembly as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that said inner and outer cannulas are of stainless steel.

3. A tracheal tube assembly as claimed in claim 2 characterized in that said tabs of said outer-cannular flange are inclined inward toward the axial center of said cannula at an angle of about 23 relative to the cannula axis, and further characterized in that said ears of said innercannula flange are normally inclined outward away from the cannula axis at an angle of about 30 relative to the cannula axis.

4. A tracheal tube assembly as claimed in claim 3 characterized in that the apertures in the ears of said innercannula flange are D-shaped with the flat side down.

5. A tracheal tube assembly as claimed in claim 4 characterized in that the wing portions of the outer-cannula ange are canted rearwardly.

References Cited by the Examiner OTHER REFERENCES Catalogue of V. Mueller and Company, Chicago, relating to the eye, ear, nose and throat, 7th edition 1929, pp.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

DALTON L. TRULUCK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TRACHEAL TUBE ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING: A CURVED OUTER CANNULA AND A SIMILARLY CURVED INNER CANNULA FORMED OF NON CORROSIVE RESILIENT MATERIAL, SAID OUTER CANNULA BEING ADAPTED FOR INSERTION INTO THE TRACHEA OF A USER, SAID INNER CANNULA BEING INSERTABLE INTO SAID OUTER CANNULA, THE PROXIMAL END OF SAID OUTER CANNULA BEING PROVIDED WITH A RADIAL FLANGE HAVING A FLAT CENTRAL PORTION AND OPPOSED WING PORTIONS, EACH OF SAID WING PORTIONS HAVING A TAB WHICH EXTENDS FORWARDLY AND INWARDLY, SAID INNER CANNULA HAVING AT ITS PROXIMAL END A FLAT RADIAL FLANGE ADAPTED FOR ABUTTING AGAINST THE FLAT CENTER PORTION OF THE OUTER-CANNULA FLANGE, SAID INNER-CANNULA FLANGE BEING PROVIDED WITH OPPOSITELY-DISPOSED APERTURED EARS EXTENDING FORWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY, THE NORMAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TIPS OF THE TABS OF THE OUTER-CANNULA FLANGE BEING SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE NORMAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE APERTURED EARS AS MEASURED BETWEEN POINTS LOCATED JUST BELOW THE APERTURES, WHEREBY WHEN SAID INNER CANNULA IS BEING INSERTED INTO SAID OITER CANNULA THE TABS OF SAID OUTER-CANNULA FLANGE ENGAGE THE LOWER PORTION OF THE EARS OF SAID INNER-CANNULA FLANGE, FORCING THE EARS SLIGHTLY TOGETHER UNTIL THE TIPS OF THE TABS ENTER THE APERTURES OF THE EARS, THEREBY TO RELEASABLY INTERLOCK SAID INNER AND OUTER CANNULAS. 